Weeder



Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,518

.1. F. SNEDER WEEDER Filed July 29. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR f Jnzkler ATTORNEY;

h 1 Another objectofthe invention is to pro i Patented Dec, 20, 1 927.

I Jorm r 5mm, or WESTON, oaneoii.

Application tied m aa,

This invention relates to weeders and has p as one of its ob ec ts to provide a weeder that will automatically adapt itself to uneven ground.v

vi-de a weeder having its parts arrangedfor 'i close coupling to reduce the drag oflthe third wheel *to a' minimum when. turning corners. 1 -A further ohject'of the'invention is to pro- "j'vide aweederthat utilizes the close confiling. arrangement tozprovidegreat; flexi 'ility." p p further object of the invention isto providea weeder having a dumping means 'lthat is easily operable due to t-he close conpjhng arrangement. 1

v I With these andother objects in viewref-- p tached to the frame 2 in a manner to provide '7 Y forextreme flexibility; for both vertical and f lateral movement, and the attaching means gerenc e 'fis now had to theiaccompanying "drawings in which-1' v a Fig. 11s a plan vlew of'a weeder;

Y FigQ 2' is avertical section of a weederi' showing the cutting blade in operable po t' i 'Fig- 3"isa vertical section'of a We'dert showing the cutting blade raised for cleanp 4 is a front elevation of a wee'der;

Fig. 5is afperspectiv'e view'of a fragment ofthe. beams of'a weeder' showing, the rela-' f. .tive..position of the coupling link and the "pivotal guidebar; and r i 1 Fig. Giisa slinllar view of Fig. 5 showing f J I distance bybringing theiblades 12 forward -Havingdeference to the drawings likenu- Ethefl closely coupled" third wheel 7.

"the coupling link ina different position? inerals refer fto like parts throughout-the several views and the numeral 1 refers to a I weeder, of the flexible slicker type, .cons'isting of a frame 2 comprising'a single conanounted on vehicle wheels 4,, and having rings '5 on its'forward side for draft purp usual platform; and may be utilized to sup port aseat (not shown) in the usual manner if desired, its 'diflerence however' the a ivot.

"tinuousbeam 3; extending-laterally and FATE Nj f orfrica. Y

WEEDERQ 1926. Serial N o. 125,685.

little side draft to this wheel asit moves in a circle around one of thevehicle wheelsas I Attachedto the, frame 2 in a manner to beexplained is a flexible weed cutting mech-' anism 8 consisting of a pluralitv of weeder sections 9, each of these sections consistin rof a laterally eXtendingbeanIOpositioned,

in paralletrelationship with the frame, to which goosenecks 11 are attached, without consists: of a loose link connection 13 comprising a pair'of clevises 14, referably attached to the beam 10 of the sections, hooks 15 attached "to the frame, and these two parts joinedidetachably by means of links 116, with the connections being spaced apart .on the beam to automatically provide forfthe above, mentioned free lateral movement of the sections and at the same timeto provide a close coupling'of the partswhereby to gcons ervef distance and" with the co1npara-- tiv'ely short go'osenecks' to'further conserve andHthus'to-provideroom for and to avoid To perfect" the 'conne'ction whereby the free lateral: movement of the sections may obtain, and maintain the sections in parallel relation to the frame, with a view to 'pre ventingthe inner end 17 of the weeder blades 12 entanglingwith the closely coupled thirdwheel 7 a'piv'otal guide vbar 18 is provided that is rigidlyattached to the frame v2 and positioned between the frame and the sections, and 'this'pivotal guidejbar has a curved end 19 that is positioned to register I contiguous to said'beam; to provide a joint upon which the beam may play during op erationof theweeder on unevenfground This; guide bar 18 is arrangedto contact thebeam when thatmember is in the normal 'position with the blade in the ground; in

which position the weight of thebeam 10 of the weeder section in its natural inclination to slide down the curved end by gravity will maintain the link connection 13 taut forming a rigid link connection from a loose link connection without in any way impairing the flexibility of the weed'er sections as to their automatic lateral adjustment.

Adjustment of the sections in a vertical plane is accomplished by means of anadjusting or operating means 20 to be explained and in explaining this vertical adjustment reference is had to Fig. 2 which shows the normal position of the weeder when the blade is in the ground and. to Fig. 3 which shows the position. of the blade and also the position of the beam 10 of the section when the blade is raised.

By observing Figs. 9. and 3, taken for the moment in. combination, broken lines extending from the cutting bladeslZ of both figures will be noted and the distance between these lines represents the extreme movement in the arc of travel of the blade during adjustment which movement is restricted or shortened due to the beam 10 dropping down and thus changing its pivotal center during the adjusting operation. It will thus be noted that by automatically changing the location of the pivotal point with respect to the beam that the weeder blade, although its end may be offset to pass the adjacent blade as shown in Fig. 1, may be positioned close to the third wheel 7 and still avoid that member during the adjustment of the sections.

Adjustment of the blade isaccomplished the adjusting means 20 as above men tioned and this adjusting means comprises rearwardly extending bars 21 rigidly attached to the frame and carrying journals 22 on their rearward ends, in which is mounted a rockable cross shaft23 having its ends 24 normally extending rearwardly.

The beam 10 has also a rearwardly extend-- ing bar 25, similar in design to the first mentioned bar, and is provided on its outer or rearward end with a pivotal connection 26,.

and connecting link 27 connects with this pivotal connection. and with the said end of, the cross shaft. An arm. 28 is then brought upward from the rock shaft 23v and a connecting rod 29 is pivotally connected to the arm, with its forward end similarly connected to an. operating lever 30 mounted in operable conjunction with. a quadrant 31 rigidly secured on the extension.

Now by moving the operating lever forward obviously the rock shaft will be partly' rotated and this movement will rock the. beam of the section on the pivotal guide bar, which. dropping thereon. as above mentioned, will act as a counterbalance moving on. the above mentioned pivotal point to aid. and assistin the operation of raising the blade. and as the blade cannot now extend plished manually, and that itslateral adjustment, isautomatic.

It will be noted by referring to Fig. 4 that a solid single beam frame may be utilized without interfering with the. movement of the weeder sections during adjustment, and that they movement, thereof is extremely flexible as shown, inthis figure, irrespective of the solid beam.

In use the weeder is drawn over the.

ground in the usual manner, and on turning corners the horses are driven around a. quarter circle as with any other implement, whenv the third wheel. follows without material side draft.

The blades of the weeder sections are now.

dropped to their normal positions in the ground by dropping the operating lever rearward, this movement rocking the, weeder beam with one of its corners in contact with the curved. part of the pivotal guide bar, and. the weight of the beam while inthis position now pulls the beam rigidly against the loose linl connection and maintains, the

weeder blade in its fixed normal positionparallel to the frame.

Now to change ositions or to tra rt the weeder, or to ump and clean the B ade the operating lever is advanced on the: adrant which artly rotates the. rock 5 v the rock sh t in turn acting on the beam of the weeder sections through the link 27 so thatthe beam now slides downward on the pivotal guide bar, the dais likewise dropping until' the link. of the loose link. connectionhas reached the extreme up ermost portion of the clevis 14 when a comp te and rapid movement of the blade occurs. out of the ground with the blade being lifted almost vertically from its normal position.

The weeder is now transported and the blade dropped. to its normal position for use as before. I 7

Attention is called to Figs. 5 and 6, in Fig. 5'of which the pivotal guide bar is clearly shown and in which is illustrated the pivotal. movement described, of the beam on the guide bar, and the relative position of said frame, and weeder sections adjustably attached to said frame and mounted for slid bar. a 7

.2. In a weeder, a single beam frame mounted on vehicle wheels, weeder sections able and pivotal movement about said guide carrying weeder cutting blades attachedtd said frame, and having means to provide for an automatic pivotal movement to said blades, said means comprising a pivotal guide barattached to said frameand posl tioned contiguous to said sections, and meansto adjust said sections.

3. In a weeder, a frame comprising a: beam and a platform, mounted on vehicleiwheels, weeder sections carrying cutting blades adjustably attachedto said frame, and having means to provide for an automatic adjust d ment'to said blades said means comprising a curved pivotal guide barattach'ed to said frame andpositioned centrally tosaid sections, and means to adjust said sections. a

4. In a weeder, a frame comprisinga single beam and a platform extending rearwardly therefrom, and. mounted on vehicle wheels, weeder "sections carrying cutting blades and adj ustably attached to said frame,

and means to provide for automatic pivotal adjustment of said sections, said meanscomprising a curved'pivotal guide bar rigidly attached to said frame and extended tobea'r centrally againstsaid sections, to adjust said sectlons.

and means 5. In a weeder', aframe comprising a sin gle beam mounted on vehicle wheels, and a platform extending rearwardly therefrom and mounted on a third wheel, weeder sectlOIlS conslstmgvof abeam, and a cutting blade attached to said beam, said sections being adj ustably and detachably attached to said frame, and means to provide for automatic pivotal. adjustment of said sections, and to support said beam during adjustment,

said "means comprisingapivotal guide bar a attached between said frame and sect-ions in a POSltlOn contiguous to said sections, and

means'to adjust said sections.

6. In a wee'der, a framecomprising a sin gle beam mounted on vehicle wheels and having a rearward extension mounting a thirdvwheel closely coupled to said frame,

weeder sections consisting of a beam and a cutting blade attached tosaid beam, said sections being detachably attached to said centrally against and beneath saidsections, vand means to ad ust sa d sections.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature.

JOHN F. SNIDER. 

